45+ and Single Speed raced for a whole 30min at Interlocken. We were supposed to go for 40. I'm no mathematician, but that don't add up. We were done for 15min before they even staged the next race. Enough time for two more laps. We're getting shorted as it is with 40min since we (single speed) were used to racing for 50min before the time change.

Agreed, I thought the race felt short and sure enough, we were robbed of at least one more lap. I'm no mathematics genius either, but 30 mintues does not equal 40 minutes, and with the new schedule, we're shorted time anyway! Do I get a refund of $5 for being shorted time on the course? Probably not.

I've put in my time with the Big Boys for many years, ask around, please. I don't really have to excuse myself to you if I want to race my age. Please come find me at the next race and say that to my face, my name is attached above.

The 3s were probably a lap short on Sunday too. Instead of directing anger toward officiating, I think we should be addressing the root cause, which I believe is too many race categories. If the race schedule wasn't jammed full end to end, we could all get a quality race in.

I don't have a specific proposal, but there should be more than 30 racers per race. I think we should be combining categories until we can put 80+ racers on the line, like when I started cross racing in 2007 and 2008.

I'd also add that singlespeed has got to be one of the hardest races to manage. You've got Cat 1s and 2s at the front, and Cat 4s and 5s at the back. I'd bet that it has one of the biggest disparities in lap time from first to last.

Why do you want to get rid of this category? For championships I would agree... maybe a little silly to have SS state champion but take Interlocken, they had 33 participates in the SS field. There were over 13 other fields that had fewer participates than that field. I'm not suggesting to eliminate a category based on numbers but promoters don't put on races just to get smiles and that field brought in some money. Would those racers still race if there wasn't a SS field? Not sure. I race SS (when I rarely do) and love it. My license says I am a 2 but my fitness says I am a 4, so I'm not racing my level and not racing my age (for they are nearly as fast), I could downgrade but seems dirty and of course I could HTFU and train but that simply means I will never race.

Bingo! I remember when Travis Brown and a couple others used to race singlespeeds week in and week out at the Boulder cross races - in the Open / Elite category. Singlespeed is an equipment choice. Those who want to race ss setups should be free to do so - in their respective USAC/BRAC category / age group - alongside those who choose to ride geared bikes. Otherwise, why not add separate categories for traditional cantilever brake bikes? Or, non-electronic (Di2) shifting? If the race-day schedule is crimped by too many categories, this one should be an easy decision.

Maybe I'm too pro promoter but if they can create a other equipment based categories like MTB only, or Fat bikes and get 30+ rider registering than why not? Simple business right?

I realize it would be a slippery slope to go down because it would have to combine other categories and could alter the experience for those fields whom are already in jeopardy of support.

I remember when Travis Brown raced open with an SS and that was amazing. I'm not against what you are saying (SS are allowed to race in any category) I'm just saying if a promoter can make an extra $ on the field than why not?

Have promoters tried to get this field removed from previous annual promoters meetings?

It's only extra $$ for the promoter if you assume the SS racers will stay home if they don't have their own category. Some might stay home, but I bet most would either race their geared bike (which most have) or race their SS in their respective categories if a separate SS race wasn't offered.

Maybe I'm over thinking the ethical part of which category I personally should go if there were no SS field. While I would feel a bit dirty to down grade and race my geared bike with the 4's I wouldn't feel that way on my SS. Plus the 4's have a much better start time than SS does anyway. Time to get back to racing. Thanks for the debate on this... was healthy.

WOL should poll people that are actually racing this year to see if they would like extra time to race by moving to 40+ and eliminating SingleSpeed. That 50 minutes of day could be spread out next year to give people more time to race! This racers, not 303 posters, should help decide racing.

Great idea, eliminate the most entertaining field, one that's had over 30 racers and growing lately. If anything, SS should get its own time slot. Cut down the geezer categories, no one cares about eternal glory for the 45+4s.

"Have promoters tried to get this field removed from previous annual promoters meetings?" Not to my knowledge.

The SS races are some of the most entertaining racers of the day. I think it's one the more important cat's going forward since it's growing every year. As a promoter, I'd actually like to break them into two groups - Single Speed 'A' which includes cats 1-3 and 'B' that includes 4s, beginners and women. I'd start them a minute apart. Obviously it's already a full schedule so I'm not sure it could work unless the Masters categories are cut down.

Yes. This would be optimal. Scoring them separately would be difficult for judges to manage, so they say. Why not differentiate the numbers so judges can tell the difference, e.g. red numbers vs black.

How are SS the most entertaining of the day? These are COMPETITIVE SPORTING EVENTS not a Circus.

Every other category is more important than a side event.

Maybe this is the order of importance: Beginners, Masters, Juniors, Women, Elite

More Singlesspeed for less masters is the opposite of what should be done.

Single speed is just a side option and many racers second event (by importance for you who don't get the difference of importance v time of day).

How is ever got considered for Cup or Championships is beyond me. Probably the board just being week in the knees and getting away from the COMPETITIVE SPORTING EVENT mentality to Everyone gets a trophy.

Why must every category be so strongly focused on intensity of competition? Some riders in this field measure their success not by their placing but by the number of bacon and beer handups they got. Some show up in costume and it's not even halloween. Are they taking their responsibility to race as hard and they can so some day they might be a cat 1? No. Are they putting down money to the promoter, BRAC and USAC, yes.

There's nothing wrong with being competitive, even in the SS field but it is the one field that is category agnostic to the core. A place where anyone can ride regardless of cat or gender.

Any field's need to have it's own time slot should probably really only be determined by participate numbers and as SS is now it can probably share a spot but if growth continues....

As an SS racer I never had any problem sharing the course with another field and actually enjoyed chasing the 3's back in the day. the problem with riders being pulled might have more to do with whom we share the course with and the length of the course. Not easy solutions to schedule making... good luck to the new executive director!!

Every race seems like there are quite a few people (including myself) asking if hand ups are OK that day. I see a flyer at registration or I search out an official for an answer. I looked at the rule (and penalty) about hand ups. Seems counter to what really happens.

I saw a person here for "officials to follow the rules". What happens when there is NO hand ups but bacon and beer is on the course?

Looks like you 45+ and SS are just jerks to me. I saw you out there warming up during the womens race.You are the worst sportsman out there. You crowded the women while they were racing. Buzzing their tires, passing them, about to run them over when they slowed down or had to dismount.

You want something then you have to earn it. All I saw is that you are JERKS and I hope you all get disqualified next race. You even had the offical yell at you, than throw you off the course and scold you at your start. There were people at the zig zags/warm ups that almost did a group cheer for that. I thanked him when he walked by and so did the race medic.

Thanks for giving all us masters and dads a bad name. Hope you guys don't fight at the races. Oh, wait....you do that too. Can't believe that you guys get away with it.

I didn't witness what you're describing (wasn't there), BUT... with all the BS that goes with folks pre-riding the course, I'd be in favor of not allowing anyone to preride the course at any time after the first race starts at 8:15. If you're concerned about not knowing what to expect, walk a lap (or at least portions of a lap) to see the layout. As long as no one pre-rides, it would be fair to all.

Pre-riders interfering with the current race was a problem many years ago and so I thought (at the time ACA) created a rule that allows riders to ONLY pre-ride on the current field's FIRST lap. Therefore chances of any interference should be very low unless the course was super super short. If this is still true are you all saying that riders are not adhering to that rule?

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